With a Thankful Heart 

(our theme for November)

Ephesians 5:18-20 (Common English Translation)

…be filled with the Spirit in the following ways: speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts; always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ….” 

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One,

Give thanks because he’s given

Jesus Christ his son.

And now let the weak say “I am strong,”

Let the poor say, “I am rich,”

Because of what the Lord has done for us.

Give Thanks, Give Thanks. 

These are the simple lyrics to a worship song that, once you have heard it, will resonate in your heart forever. Give Thanks was written by a man named Henry Smith in 1978. It was written at a time when Henry Smith didn’t seem to have much to give thanks for. He was suffering from a degenerative eye disease that would eventually leave him legally blind, and he was having trouble finding work after graduating from King’s College in Bristol, TN. 

While worshipping in his church in Williamsburg, Va Henry heard a sermon that gave him the inspiration to create a song of praise. The pastor read a scripture from 2 Corinthians 6, 9-10: “We were seen as punished but not killed, as going through pain but always happy, as poor but making many rich, and as having nothing but owning everything.” Henry composed the song Give Thanks for his guitar, and he and his future wife Cindy sang it on several occasions. It was heard by a visiting military couple who carried the song with them to Germany. The song took on a life of its own and was actually published with the composer listed as “anonymous.” Years later in 1986 Smith heard a recording of the song by Integrity Music and contacted the publisher. He finally received recognition as its composer. 

Henry Smith wrote over 300 songs, but Give Thanks is the only one that was ever published. It has been sung in numerous languages, sung at the Billy Graham’s Crusade in England, and published in numerous hymnals. Henry Smith’s grateful heart will endure for many generations to come. 

Let us pray: Dear Lord, give us a grateful heart in all circumstances so that we can say we are strong even when we feel weak and rich even when our circumstances seem poor. Help us give thanks in all circumstances for your abiding love. Amen.

This devotional was written by Laura Derr and read by Sally Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.